Name: Reginald Wayne Miller
Nickname: Miller Time
Born: August 24, 1965
Status: Retired
Origin: Riverside, California, USA
Height: 6-7/2,02m
Weight: 190lbs/86,6kg
Schools: UCLA
Drafted: 1987, First Round, 11th pick overall by the Indiana Pacers
Languages: English, Croatian
Website: InterBasket
Teams (jersey): UCLA, US National Team, Indiana Pacers (31)
Ibn Notes: Players rarely begin and retire from the league as they looked, much less in the same city (only John Stockton and Karl Malone played more games for one team than Miller). Reggie Miller never looked the intimidating part, but by the time his career came to an end, his reputation as one of the most dangerous players when it mattered most struck fear into opponents even though his 190 (+/-5lbs) frame didn’t.  Skinny, flailing, running around like his life depended on it and with an awkward looking jumpshot, Reggie Miller came into the league, around screens, over defenders and into the arguably the best shooter that ever played the game.

Accomplishments: 1996 Olympic gold medalist; 1994 World Championship gold medalist; Five-time NBA All-Star (1990, ’95, ’96, ’98, 2000); All-NBA Third Team (1995, ’96, ’98); NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1988); J.Walter Kennedy Citzenship Award (2004).

From Nba.com: A volatile, high-voltage scorer from the off guard position, Reggie Miller was one of the supreme shooters of any era. With 2,560 made three-pointers, he ended his career as the NBA’s greatest long range shooter. He poured in 25,279 points to finish his career in 12th place on league’s all-time scoring list.

But he also had a penchant for the spectacular clutch shot in gunslinger fashion that made him a feared and despised opponent. His heroic play down the stretch of games became known as “Miller Time.”

The slender 6-7 and 190 pound former UCLA Bruin was selected with the 11th overall pick at the 1987 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. He would go onto spend his entire 18-year career there becoming another legendary figure in basketball Hoosier history.

At UCLA, he ranked fourth in the nation in scoring as a junior with 25.9 ppg and then averaged 22.3 ppg as a senior. At the time he was drafted, he also ranked second on the school’s all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But the stick-figured shooter was not welcomed as the home state fans desired Indiana University’s All-American guard Steve Alford.

However, Miller played more games with the same team than all but two players in NBA history, John Stockton and Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz. Miller would also lead the Pacers from futility to the Finals and many postseason escapades. Much of his playoff drama would involve his most intense rival, the New York Knicks, and take place on their home court at Madison Square Garden… 

…his performance in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks may well be remembered as his coming out party as it cemented the belief that with Miller on the floor, the Pacers seem to always have a chance to pull out a victory.

In that game, Miller dropped 25 points in the fourth quarter – hitting 5 of 5 from three-point range – to lead Indiana to a 93-86 comeback victory at Madison Square Garden. Miller exchanged barbs with filmmaker Spike Lee and renowned Knicks fan at courtside during the barrage of points. The performance shocked the home crowd and consummated the love-hate relationship (they both loved to hate each other) between the Garden faithful and Miller.

But the worst for Knicks fans had yet to come as the ensuing year would be more horrific…  his defining moment as clutch performer may have come in Game 1 of the 995 conference semifinals in New York. The Pacers were down by 6 with 16.9 seconds when Miller hit a three. He stole the inbound pass and dribbled behind the three point arc to sink another one to tie the game. After the Knicks missed two free-throws, Miller sank two for the final margin of victory of 107-105.

In a span of 8.9 seconds, Miller scored 8 points. The crowd and the basketball world were stunned.

Longtime rival Patrick Ewing would later say, “he’s [Miller] the kind of guy, when you play against him, you want to smack him. But when you play with him, you have his back. You have the utmost respect for him. He came out, he played hard and he did what he needed to do to help his team win…We’ve had our battles, we’ve had our wars. I have utmost respect for him.”

The flurry was reminiscent of his 25-point fourth-quarter outburst in the same building in the conference finals the previous season, but this time the Pacers went on to defeat the Knicks in a series after two unsuccessful attempts. Miller made sure of it this time as he scored 29 points in Game 7 to close out the series in the Garden.

Reggie Miller Links  From our forum:      Articles and other resources: 31 and Only: NBA Salutes Reggie Miller (Nba.com), Reggie Miller Video Archive(Nba.com)